11.15.9 "Look Out!"

"Look out!"

Ezekiel 31:1-32:32
Hebrews 12:14-29
Psalm 113:1-114:8
Proverbs 27:18-20

If you've ever been to Niagara Falls, you know it is truly an amazing sight. The volume of water that goes over the falls is incredible. It almost makes you dizzy to watch it. When we were there in the summer of '07, we walked through tunnels behind the falls, and the roar of the water was incredible. I had slippery shoes on, and there were a couple of times i hit a slick spot on the tunnel floor, and wiped out. For how many tourists are there I'm surprised it isn't more guarded with safety rails. It seemed to me like it would be very easy for a child or a crazy teenager to walk out on a ledge, and fall over the cliff or into the falls.

As I read the scriptures this morning, I was imagining seeing someone walk out there with slippery shoes. What would I do if I saw that? Would I say anything? Would I do anything to prevent?

When discussing confrontation a friend said, "It's hardest to confront those closest to you. We're great friends, but when it comes to spiritual things..."

Hebrews 12:15 shows us the priority: "Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God's best blessings. Watch out that no bitterness takes root among you, for as it springs up it causes deep trouble, hurting many in their spiritual lives."

This is what it is all about. In pastoral ministries there are some sad stories. I'll sit in my office as the person across my desk has a broken life in their hand. Often it's something that has gone on for years. What makes it so sad, is that many times individuals in this condition have "close" relationships with Christian friends. But, for some reason or another, the struggle never came up in conversation. There may have been comments on the side about a marriage frustration, or even a snide comment about another believer, but for one reason another, it was never discussed. Never confronted.

Enter the bitter root. An individual misses church for a few weeks, and no one "notices". Sure, there's a call from a pastor, or church leader, but what about my friends? The bitterness grows to the point that when a call is made, it seems "too late". The bitter root takes hold, and it causes deep trouble. Not only for the individual, but "hurting many in their spiritual lives."

It's uncomfortable many times to say, "hey man, I notice you're not getting along with your wife very well." Or, "I haven't seen you in bible study for a while. Is everything ok?" We don't want to risk offending the individual. But SO OFTEN, the one who's hurting inside is BEGGING for someone to notice. Someone to ask.

It's like seeing the child on the ledge. "I'd say something, but I don't want the parent to think I'm judging them." "I haven't met them yet. Who am I to say something?"

In a scenario like that the only way you would keep silent is either you don't value the life, or you don't recognize the danger.

Look again at the purpose for this. "Look after each other so that not one of you will fail to find God's best blessings." If you see me heading down a path that could cause me to miss God's best blessings, why wouldn't you talk to me about it? Why wouldn't you say, "Look out!" Don't you care enough?

The difficulty is that too often people are "judged" instead of talked to. Benny misses two bible studies & he must be in sin. We build a case against him in our mind, build it up to be a huge deal, and we actually become insecure in how to deal with the issue, and afraid to do anything. So, we shake our head, and wonder what went wrong rather than finding out that Benny is discouraged because of a job situation, and could really use a call. We don't value Benny's life enough to pick up the phone.

Relationships Devoted to Unity are "discipling" relationships. It's caring enough to help one another keep conversation and conduct aligned with the word. Look at the people in your world differently. View yourself as God's agent to bring another closer to Christ. Not just unbelievers, but those in your family & the family of God.

There's a pretty good chance that someone reading this email is the one who "needs someone to notice". The enemy wants to keep you isolated and alone. He wants to separate you from the Body so he can destroy you. Don't use the lie that "no one cares" feed into the ploy to drive you to despair. Get connected! Pursue relationships with godly people. EVERY ONE of us have this responsibility!

One thing that I'm discovering more and more is that as the Lord is purifying his Church for his soon return, there are some interesting things happening. In the lives of so many individuals there are things that are coming to the surface. For example, people who have been Christians for a long time are "all of the sudden" struggling with issues and it's being revealed.

As the Lord purifies us, things come to the surface so we can allow God to take them away. What tends to happen, though is that we want to cover them up. We feel we should be perfect because it's time to be mature. But the bible says that we should "confess our sins one to another so that we may be healed." We need to be vulnerable one to another. We need to offer grace one to another. We need to show one another the way out.

We need to Look Out! for one another! If we don't we either don't value the life, or recognize the danger.



Through the Power of the Spirit,
Live the DREAM!

P Greg


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